Wearing a shoulder harness type vehicle restraint device can be uncomfortable for many individuals because the recoil mechanism generally provided on the shoulder harness can generate uncomfortable forces against the chest of the wearer. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a device for preventing the recoil mechanism from placing undesirable forces against the chest of the shoulder harness wearer while still achieving the safety advantages of wearing a shoulder harness. It would also be a benefit if the device could be easily adjusted to comfortably accommodate different wearers without a complicated adjustment procedure. It would be a still further benefit if the device could be inexpensively manufactured and easily and quickly installed by a user without requiring extensive training or special tools. It would also be a benefit if the device were sufficiently portable to allow a guest passenger to carry the device in a pocket or handbag for use on any vehicle occupied by the guest passenger.